What Your Mammogram May Reveal About Your Heart With Dr. Anjali Malik
Episode notes
In this episode of The Hormonal Podcast, host Zarah Khondoker sits down with Dr. Anjali Malik, a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologist at Washington Radiology and a women’s health advocate, to explore breast arterial calcification (BAC) and the research examining its relationship to cardiovascular disease risk.
The conversation explores how BAC differs from the calcifications associated with breast cancer, what the evidence can and cannot tell us, and what questions women should bring to their care teams when this finding appears on a mammogram. We also examine the challenges of turning emerging research into routine care, from unanswered scientific questions and communication between specialists to insurance coverage and appropriate follow-up.
Looking ahead, we discuss where technology and innovation could help bridge the gap between an imaging finding and meaningful action. Throughout the episode, Dr. Malik’s commitment to women’s health anchors a larger conversation: how can we move beyond treating breast health in isolation and better connect it to a woman’s overall health?